Review: Anticipation for Pacific Standard Time pays off with wood-fired excellence

Pacific Standard Time is an odd name for a Chicago restaurant — if your reservation is for 7 p.m., that’s Central Time, right? — but that’s one of the few quibbles I have with this 8-week-old newcomer.

PST was one of the most eagerly anticipated openings of this year, largely because of its impressive pedigree. It features chef Erling Wu-Bower, who delighted palates as chef at Nico Osteria, and Joshua Tilden, former director of strategic operations at One Off Hospitality. In an unusual partnership, Tilden and Wu-Bower (aka Underscore Hospitality Group) teamed up with their former employers, One Off Hospitality Group (creators of Avec and Blackbird and The Publican and more).

California food and cuisine inform Wu-Bower’s vision; what helps him execute that vision are twin wood-burning hearth ovens, visible from the dining room, which produce one delight after another. (It’s the rare PST dish that hasn’t been at least kissed with fire and smoke.)

Most notable, perhaps, is the pita bread, which plays a role in at least a half-dozen dishes. The dome-shaped pitas arrive hot to the touch, slightly spongy in texture, redolent of smoke, glossed with high-end olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. It’s like pita bread and Indian naan had a beautiful baby.

Order the pita with various toppings, including a smoky eggplant with robiolina, rice koji and mojo rojo; and a terrific composition of marinated tuna slices over green-chickpea hummus, tahini and urfa (Turkish pepper).

Another item to look for is Harry’s Berries, appearing twice on the menu (and twice more at brunch). The savory version (I’ll get to the sweet later) tosses the super-fresh strawberries with hazelnuts, snap peas and sumac, over stracciatella cheese and alongside pieces of toasted bread (Greg Wade’s seeded 1979 bread, from Publican Quality Breads); I’m not sure there are better strawberries to be found anywhere.

Other treats include a simple aguachile, starring Japanese madai snapper (“a beautiful product that makes me look good,” according to Wu-Bower), fish-sauce glazed chicken wings with bitter greens, and a few thin pizzas, particularly the ham-and-poblano version. Do not overlook the shrimp and pork dumplings, swimming with napa cabbage and bits of guanciale in a pork-rich broth.

There are regular entrees and large-format ones, and if your party is large enough, by all means take a shot at one of the big boys. The duck is destined for stardom; it consists of an abundance of sliced breast meat with pickled vegetables, alongside a crock of seasoned duck-beef meatballs, beans, kale and a sherry-laced broth. Adding to the fun are dipping sauces of seasoned yogurt and muhammara, a pepper and walnut spread, and more of that wonderful pita.

Equally worthy is the whole trout, the brainchild of executive sous-chef Ben Truesdell, who brushes the pan-roasted trout with sweet pepper jelly and zhug (more of both are served on the side) and tops it all with a fistful of herbs.

Among the, ahem, smaller entrees (portion control isn’t a priority here), there’s a wonderful roasted black cod with fennel puree and marinated mushrooms, and braised pork shoulder in a “ramen broth” with bok choy, tofu, clams and — surprise — no noodles. Soft-shell crab, a dish that affirms the return of summer, is served with bibb lettuce, bacon, tomato and red onion, essentially a deconstructed BLT.

Burnt olive-oil cake is yummy, helped along with cara cara orange segments, lemon curd and creme fraiche ice cream; you can add a rich and salty touch via the optional soupcon of white-sturgeon caviar (a $25 add-on). And the dessert course sees the return of Harry’s Berries, this time matched to soft sunflower cake, strawberry syrup and Chartreuse ice cream.

Drinking at PST won’t overburden your budget; Scott Stroemer’s cocktails ($10-$14) are appropriately summery right now (with the possible exception of the smoky Oaxacan Old Fashioned, but I love that one), and the wine list abounds with cost-conscious options. Servers are smart about food-pairing suggestions.

The decor, by Parts and Labor Design, is light and bright and conveys a laid-back informality; apart from the necessary kitchen equipment, the space looks downright homey. Large windows bring in plenty of natural light, enhanced by hanging fixtures; tiled floors and walls are in cream tones. Sharp angles are almost nonexistent; natural-wood tables have rounded corners, as do the chairs (upholstered in fabric whose pattern evokes patio furniture). Windows have rounded facades, doorways are arched and even the tile-lined display kitchen has a slightly curved pass-through.

All that tile work contributes to PST’s biggest problem: noise. The dining room can be deafening when its 160 seats are full (which is most of the time, judging by my visits). Wu-Bower said he’s “very aware” of the issue, and custom-made sound baffling is already on order. For the next week or so, avoid prime-time hours if noise is an issue.

But that’s about the only thing that’s keeping my love for PST incomplete. Well, that, and the busser whose water-glass aim was rather inaccurate — not that dribbling water on the table, which occurred with every refill, bothered him much. It fell to a waiter, who surely had better things to do, to mop up the puddles.

Pacific Standard Time

141 W. Erie St.

312-736-1778

pstchicago.com

Tribune rating: Three stars

Open: Dinner daily; brunch Sunday

Prices: Entrees $20-$35

Noise: Conversation-challenged

Other: Valet parking

Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.